BySIMCHA PASKO
Updated:
While people who are hesitant to take the COVID-19 vaccine usually cite concern over safety of the vaccine and skepticism about seriousness of COVID-19, this survey found that the fear of needles is also playing a part. Vaccine hesitancy could disappear by over 10% if the fear of needles is treated, according to a new study. 
Researches from the University of Oxford found that a quarter of the UK adult population screened positive for injection phobia and were found twice as likely to report that they were hesitant to get the COVID-19 vaccine. This study asked a sample group of 15,014 UK adults to rate their anxieties about needles and blood, as well as their willingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccine in the third Oxford Coronavirus Explanations, Attitudes, and Narratives Survey (OCEANS-III). The quotas were based on the UK Office for National Statistics population estimate data for gender, age, ethnicity, income, and region. The results were published in the peer-reviewed academic journal, Psychological Medicine. 

Prof. Daniel Freeman, study lead, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, said, "For people with injection phobia the sight, say, of a hypodermic needle will prompt an initial increase in heart rate and blood pressure. This may be swiftly followed by a sudden decline in both. When that happens, some people faint.

"The COVID-19 vaccination program means that almost everyone has had – or will soon have – to face the needle. People may certainly think twice about joining a queue for a vaccine if they fear that they might topple to the ground."

Vaccine hesitancy is slightly higher among young people and certain ethnic minority groups, according to the survey. Of those surveyed, 13.8% of the participants were classed as hesitant and 26.2% screened positive for a specific blood-injection-injury phobia.

Women have a greater fear than men across the countries studies, as found by a 2018 study done by the School of Public Health at the University of Michigan, and published in Journal of advanced nursing. It was also found that 1 in 13 healthcare workers in hospitals avoided the influenza vaccine due to the fear of needles.  

"When it comes to controlling COVID-19, every vaccination counts. There is much that can be done to help people overcome their fear of needles. Cognitive behavioral therapy is typically fast and effective – and can even be successfully given in group sessions." Freeman continued.

"Treatment involves gradual exposure to needles and injections, beginning with simply showing pictures and videos. Fainting can be tackled too. Patients can be taught how to recognize the early signs of a dip in their blood pressure and to combat this drop by applied muscle tension."

The study was funded by the NIHR Oxford BRC and the NIHR Oxford Health BRC.